Children of the Underworld
by SilverWing321
Summary: When Nico takes a trip to the underworld, he receives a shocking revelation. Hades DID break the pact of the Big Three, and hidden in the underworld is a secret camp for the children of Hades - a place where Nico finally feels accepted. But when Nico discovers his siblings have sinister plans for Olympus, he and his new allies must go to warn Camp Half Blood before it is too late.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey Everyone, Silver here...**

 **Sooooo...I'm just going to say it. My other stories are pretty much dead. I normally wouldn't start another one, but I've have the first few chapters of this one all written out for a while, and I have the storyboard all planned out, so I figured, what the heck, I'll just post it. I hope you enjoy!**

 **Diclaimer, I own nothing**

oO0Oo

 _ **Chapter One**_

" _My father_ _ **really**_ _needs to learn how to say thank you."_ thought Nico Di Angelo sullenly as he trudged across the Fields of Asphodel, the flat, markless land unchanging around him. The Titan war had just ended, and all the demigods at Camp Half-Blood all seemed to be congratulating him, thanking him for convincing Hades to fight. And yet, Hades himself had not uttered a single word of thanks to his son.

Nico had left Camp Half-Blood about a week ago, not wanting to stay in the gloomy, dark Hades cabin that had been built for him there. He didn't belong at camp. Not really. No matter how many thanks he got from the campers, no matter how much they pretended to accept him, he could see the hesitance in their eyes, the distaste at having a child of Hades amongst them.

He had gone to the Underworld, and after promptly passing out from exhaustion after travelling so far through shadow travel,he had retreated to his father's palace, with a feeble hope that he would feel welcome there.

' _Of course I was wrong.'_ he thought, kicking the ground irritably as he walked, and watching the fine yellow dust rise around his feet. ' _The only person who ever_ really _accepted me was Bianca, and she's...'_

He didn't want to finish that thought.

As he trekked through the fields, spirits of the dead drifted away from him, their sunken eyes boring into him as he passed. He could feel the aura of death surrounding them as he passed.

Suddenly, he stopped short, his heart suddenly skipping a beat. He had felt something. Something that didn't belong in the underworld. An aura of _life_. In the Feilds of Asphodel, in the middle of the Underworld, he had felt something _alive_. Strong and pulsating like a beacon in the middle of thousands among thousands of dead spirits.

Why would there be a living person in the middle of the Land of the Dead? Demigods didn't just pop into the Underworld. Even if they did, they almost never came out alive.

He looked around, as if expecting the mysterious living person to be right behind him.

"A-Anyone there?" he called out uncertainly, his eyes sweeping across the crowds of lost spirits. His hand inched towards his sword. But only moans from the lost spirits answered him.

He closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on where the life aura was coming from. Compared to shadow travel and summoning undead warriors, sensing an aura of life was a piece of cake. Surely being able to track where that aura was coming from wouldn't be too hard either…

Suddenly, like a GPS inside his head just been switched on, he opened his eyes and began to quickly walk to the left, feeling the aura of life becoming stronger and stronger as he walked. He barreled through crows of blank-looking spirits, not really paying attention to where he was was walking. Anticipation mounted in his chest - he was coming closer, he could feel it. Within moments, he could feel it right in front of him. He looked up and found himself standing right in front of….a cliff.

He looked up slowly, staring at the tall, seemingly endless obsidian cliff in front of him. It went upwards in a sheer vertical slope, disappearing out of sight in the sky. He could sense the mysterious person's life aura coming from _inside_ the cliff. Somehow, there was a person in there.

There was nothing unusual about the cliffside itself, just ordinary, very lifeless black rock.

' _There's_ got _to be a secret passage or something.'_ Thought Nico, pressing his hands against the rock in different paces. The stone was cold against his fingers, and unusually jagged. He examined the cliffside, looking for any sign of a doorway or a passage or a - _yes!_ There it was. Carved crudely into the cliffside was a tiny, barely noticeable symbol, but Nico recognized it immediately. It was the helm of darkness, the sign of his father.

Grinning, he took a deep breath, he raised his hand to the symbol, and pressed as hard as he could.

Nothing happened.

Nico sighed. _Well that was dramatic_ he thought. Pulling out his sword, he carefully pressed the stygian iron blade against the carving. Nothing. Maybe there was a password or something...

"Uh...open?" he said, his voice coming out uncertain. "Open!" He tried again. Still nothing. He thought for a second. " _Anoichtó_ " He said, this time saying the phrase in greek.

The cliffside remained stubbornly closed. Maybe he could try to split the rock, the way he could make the ground open.

Closing his eyes tightly, Nico raised his hands, mustering all his power. He felt the cold power flow into his hands, and he silently willed the cliff to tear open for him. Slowly, he lowered his hands and opened his eyes.

Nothing had happened. The cliff was just the same, ordinary, unchanged mass of stone.

"Oh, _come on!_ " Nico shouted out loud, his hand flying on it's own and punching the hard, jagged rock. Pain shot through his knuckles, and he recoiled his hand immediately. His skin had split open where it had hit the jagged rock, and tiny flecks of blood now dotted the carving on the cliff.

" _Oh Tartarus…"_ he muttered, cradling his stinging hand, but his attention was suddenly turned away from his cut knuckles as a loud hissing sound suddenly reached his ears. He looked up, and his eyes widened.

The drops of his blood that had stained the symbol were now frothing and boiling furiously, as if they had been placed on a frying pan. The ground in front of the cliff began to vibrate, and part of rock itself began sinking slowly, soundlessly into the ground, revealing a long, darkened stone passageway into the cliff. As the boulder sank fully into the ground, the vibrating stopped and the hissing sound ceased.

Nico let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding. " _So that's how it opens…_ " he muttered numbly, looking down at the tiny drop of blood that was rolling down the back of his hand.

He stared cautiously into the long, dank passageway. It was pitch back, lit only by a single torch of Greek fire mounted on the wall. In a quick decision, Nico sheathed his sword, walked into the pathway.

As soon as he crossed the threshold, the rock began to move back up again, much faster than it had sunk. Within moments, the entrance to the hallway had been closed again, plunging him into complete darkness except for the eerie green light from the Greek Fire.

For a moment, Nico just stared in shock at where the entrance had been. Then steeling his nerves, he turned around to face the long, shadowy stairway, and grabbed the torch off its holder, using it as a flashlight. There was only one way to go began to walk down the hallway.

The passage twisted and turned, more like the burrow of a giant rabbit than anything else. Nico hurried along it, stumbling now and then on the uneven floor, holding the torch out in front of him.

After what felt like an hour, the passage began to rise. Panting, Nico sped up, his face hot, his feet very cold. He could sense people at the end of the passage, _living_ people, coming closer and closer.

Ten minutes later, he came to the foot of some worn stone steps, which rose out of sight above him. Careful not to make any noise, Nico began to climb. A hundred steps, two hundred steps, he lost count as he climbed, watching his feet...then, without warning, the staircase ended abruptly, coming to a dead end at a wall of stone.

This time, Nico didn't hesitate. Holding out his fist, he let a tiny drop of blood from his now scabbing-over knuckles trickle onto the stone. Immediately, his blood sizzled, the ground vibrated, and the wall sunk out of sight into the ground, forming a doorway out of the passage.

Nico practically ran out of the passage, gratefully gulping a huge lungful of fresh air. The doorway closed behind him, and he leaned against the stone wall, resting his aching legs and panting.

When Nico finally got his breath back, he raised his head to look around. The passage had taken him to what looked like a huge field. He looked up, and saw the sky above him was bright, much lighter than the dreary sky above the Fields of Asphodel. He could sense he was in the still Underworld, but the sky almost looked like the normal, above-world night sky. Had he somehow gotten to Elysium?

In front of him, stretching away from the place where the passage of been, was a dirt path. In the distance, Nico could see buildings, and scattered structures.

Nico set the torch he had been using on the ground, and stamped on it a few times to put the fire out. He wouldn't be needing it anymore. The flames were almost out when suddenly, without warning-

"Hey! What're you doing here!"

Nico looked up with a start. A tall, slim boy had suddenly appeared before him. He had black hair, and a very round face.

Before Nico could react, the boy had drawn the dagger strapped to his leg, and pressed it hard against Nico's chest. The ground on either side of Nico began to churn and Nico's eyes widened as two skeletal guards began to claw their way out of the ground. How had they gotten here - Nico hadn't summoned them!

As the two skeletons emerged fully from the ground, one grabbed Nico's arms and pinned them behind his back while the other kicked his legs out from under him, forcing him to his knees.

"I _said_ ," growled the boy, "What are you doing here? And who are you?"

"I am the Ghost King, let _go_ of me!" Shouted Nico to the skeletons. Obediently, the two undead obliged, letting go of him and clattering into two piles of bones.

The boy's eyes widened. "You're a child of Hades?" He asked with surprise.

"Figured it out, did you?" Nico growled, standing up and drawing his sword, ready to fight. Then, the boy did something completely unexpected. He sheathed his dagger, and his face broke out into a wide grin.

"Well why didn't you say so, dummy! I was about stab you!" He said, grinning goofily, all hostility gone from his voice.

Nico blinked with confusion at the 180 turn around in the boy's attitude. "I-" he began threateningly, but the boy cut him off.

"What're you doing here anyway? It's _way_ past curfew! You would've got Kitchen Duty if someone else caught you! Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I'm not the tattle-tail type." The boy winked at Nico, like they were best friends.

"I would've _what?"_

"I'm only out here 'cause I've got perimeter duty tonight. Most boring job ever, am I right or am I right? Like, nothing _ever_ happens! Well, except for the occasional new arrival, but I never get those."

"I don't-" Stuttered a very confused Nico, but the boy kept babbling.

"Why are you _here_ anyway? This is the exit. Are you leaving? I mean, that's allowed, but why in the middle of the night? And without telling anyone? You're face looked so suspicious, that's why I almost attacked. Is this part of another prank, 'cause I am _so_ done with those. Are you trying to-"

"For Hades sake, do you ever _shut up?!_ " Nico shouted over the boy. The stranger blinked in surprise.

"Wow, rude much?" said the boy, looking offended. "No one tells _me_ to shut up! Unless they're new and they don't know that talking endlessly is my thing." The boy paused to take a closer look at Nico. "Actually, I don't recognize you. _Are_ you new here? When did you arrive? How long have you been? What cabin are you in? Do you-"

"Just. Stop. Talking." Said Nico, his temper flaring, shooting an ice-cold glare at the boy. This time, he fell silent for good. "Who are you," demanded Nico, hardening his voice. "What is this place?"

The fear in the boy's face vanished in a flash, and his black eyes lit up again. "So you _are_ new here! That's _so_ cool! I've _never_ gotten to greet a new arrival before!"

"Just answer the question." sighed Nico. The boys endless chatter was giving him a headache.

"Well, first, who am I? I'm Miles Brown, and I'm the most amazing demigod you'll ever meet."

Nico snorted, and Miles continued, "As for what is this place, welcome to my humble home, the Camp of the Underworld!"

Nico stared at him.

"I know, weird name, isn't it?" Said Miles, "It's a bit of a mouthful if you ask me, but nobody could really think of a better name. Or maybe we were all just too lazy. Most of us just call it COU for short."

" _Us?_ " repeated Nico, forgetting to keep his voice emotionless, "There are _more_ people here?"

"Well, _duh!_ " Said Miles. "You can't have a camp with only one camper, can you? Anyway, I didn't finish my introduction. Welcome to COU, the only safe haven for people like you and me."

Nico paused for a moment. "You mean...for demigods?"

Miles laughed. "Not for _demigods._ For people like and me. People like you. This is a safe haven for the Children of _Hades_."

Nico blinked, "Children of Hades?"

"Didn't I say?" said Miles, "I'm a son of Hades."

o0O0o

 **Yay! First chapter done. I hope you liked it.**

 **On an unrelated note, I actually have some character art drawn out for the OCs in the story. So I guess this is a poll: should I post a link to them, or are you guys fine without it. Let me know in your reviews!**

 **Welp, that's all for now, so until the next chapter, read, review, and stay awesome everyone!**

 **~Silver**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two**_

Nico stared at the boy in front of him blankly for a moment. The boy who claimed he was a child of Hades. Then, he burst out laughing, something he hadn't done in a long time.

"What's so funny?" Asked Miles.

"A child of Hades." Wheezed Nico, looking up at him " _You_."

"Yeah..." Said Miles, "Your point being...?"

"You're not a child of Hades." Said Nico skeptically, "The Pact of the Big Three was made years ago. Hades isn't allowed to have any kids. I'm the only child of Hades around."

An unexpected pang of loneliness hit him as he said the words.

Miles raised an eyebrow, "Hades isn't my dad, huh?" He said with an amused expression, "Then how do you explain... _this_?"

He thrust out his hand dramatically, and the ground below churned for a minute, before the skeleton of a small field mouse popped out of the dirt and scurried off.

"Ta-da." said Miles, looking at Nico smugly, "Only children Hades can do that."

Nico opened his mouth to retort, but his mind came up blank. Miles had just summoned a skeleton…and the the two skeleton warriors that had restrained Nico before, Miles must have summoned them too. Nico wracked his brains for another god who could give that power to a demigod child, but his mind came up blank.

Shock slowly took hold of his mind as the truth hit him. Miles was a child of Hades, his _brother -_ or half-brother at any rate.

It was absurd, it was completely ridiculous and yet...It made _sense_. Zeus and Poseidon hadn't kept their oath, so why would Hades? It seemed like something Hades would do. None of the other gods were allowed into the Underworld, and demigods almost never came here. Making a secret camp for his children would keep them perfectly hidden - no would ever know he had broken his oath.

 _Holy Styx._

Miles, who seemed oblivious to Nico's shocked reaction to the news, was once again happily chattering at him.

"Oh man, everyone's gonna' be so excited when they find out there's a new arrival! We haven't had one in months!"

 _Everyone's_ going to be excited. There were more people here...but that meant...

"I have brothers and sisters?" Nico asked with shock.

"Yup." Said Miles proudly, "Twelve campers, to be exact. You make thirteen. Gimme' a hug, little bro!" Miles spread his arms open wide, grinning. Nico stared at Miles in disbelief. After an extremely awkward silence, Miles just dropped his arms and shrugged indifferently.

"Eh, not a hugger. That's okay, you'll warm up to me eventually." He said. Nico seriously doubted this. "But enough talking, let's go meet them! I'll take you to Tyrell first, he'll give you a proper introduction."

Nico had no idea who Tyrell was, but Miles suddenly grabbed his arm, and began heading down the path, excitedly babbling as he dragged Nico after him. Nico wrenched his arm from the boy's grip, glaring, but Miles just grinned more and kept walking, motioning for Nico to follow him.

Along the path were several small, square garden patches, each defined by low, white fences, and filled with plants. It would have been very pretty, except that all the plants in the patches were shriveled up and brown, bent over onto the ground.

Following his gaze, Miles commented, "Yeah, those garden patches never did work out. We planted them for decoration, but no one here really has a green thumb. Plants actually seem to-"

"Shrivel up when you touch them?" Finished Nico.

"Exactly." Said Miles, grinning. Nico wondered how Miles could be so light-hearted about it. When _he_ had accidentally made a couple of flowers die, the Demeter kids at Camp Half-Blood had acted like he had killed someone.

"Don't you think you're freaky when that happens?" Blurted out Nico before he could stop himself. "Don't you think people would judge you?"

Miles shrugged, "'Course they would. Normal people would, that is. But it happens to everyone at COU. We all accept it here." Miles cast a sideways glance at Nico. " _You_ don't think your powers make you creepy, do you?" He asked.

Nico, said nothing. Miles seemed to interpret his silence as a yes, because he continued,

"Yeah, I thought so too, but when I came to COU I figured out truth. Your powers are part of you, and if others wanna' be jerks about it, that's _their_ problem. You got powers, you o _wn it."_

Miles punched Nico lightly in the arm, and Nico managed a small smile. Sibling or not, Miles seemed to know what it was like to be a child of Hades.

The path lead to a pavilion of four cabins, arranged in a diamond shape. They framed a large, grassy area, in the center of which, a fountain with flowed with a jet-black liquid. All four of the cabins were painted dark colors, brown, gray, dark purple, and black. Unlike the Hades cabin at camp Half Blood, there were no ugly gargoyles glowering down from the roofs of the cabins, or flashy torches of Greek Fire. The buildings were plain, and simple, like ordinary cabins at any mortal camp. Nico immediately took a liking to them.

' _Then again, these cabins were built by other children of Hades."_ He thought suddenly, " _They're tailor made for people like me…'_

The thought brought a warm feeling to his chest - maybe it was just knowing he wasn't alone being a child of Hades.

There were groups of kids hanging out in front of each cabin, their ages ranging from around eleven to sixteen. Most were just talking , a pair of boys by the brown cabin were sparring, both using Stygian Iron swords. Despite the different races and ages, Nico could see family resemblance. Everyone had darker hair, the same shaped faces, and from what Nico could see, everyone had black eyes. Almost everyone sported dark colored clothing, and the few who wore bright colors stuck out like very colorful sore thumbs. No one seemed to care though

As he looked over around the numerous kids hanging out in the pavilion, his eyes fell onto a tall girl talking to her friend. Nico's eyes widened as he got a glimpse of her face. She was olive skinned, with long black hair, and pretty black eyes. _She looked just like Bianca_.

"These cabins are where you'll sleep." Said Miles. He looked over at Nico, and a concerned expression crossed his face. "You still with me, kid? You look all pale suddenly."

Nico realized his mouth was open, and quickly closed it. "She...Bianca..." He cleared his throat, trying to keep his feelings from showing, and turned away from the girl, quickly changing the subject. "Nevermind. How do you know these are all children of Hades? Last I checked, the gods weren't exactly responsible about claiming all their children."

Miles grinned. "I was wondering when you'd ask, it's actually pretty cool. You know the rock in the cliff, it opened when your blood touched it, didn't it?" Nico nodded, and Miles continued, "Well, that rock wouldn't have opened with _anyone's_ blood - it only opens if _Hades's_ blood touches it. Since you're Hades's son, you have his blood, so it opens for you."

"Oh." said Nico lamely. Looking around again, he asked, "What's with all the dark clothing?"

Miles shrugged, "It so happens that everyone here likes the dark colors." he said indifferently. "Probably a Hades thing."

Nico smiled a bit. No one would call him an emo or goth-kid here. Smiling hurt his face, he wasn't used to making the expression, but he couldn't seem to stop.

"Anyway, the cabins are sorted by age. Ten, eleven, and twelve year olds are over there," Miles pointed at the dark purple cabin,

"Thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen year olds there," The brown cabin,

"And sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen year olds there." He pointed at the gray cabin.

"Usually we don't get anyone older or younger than that. Anyone older than eighteen goes there." He pointed at the black cabin. It was the biggest cabin, and was near the front of the diamond. "That's where Tyrell stays too."

"Okay, who's Tyrell?" Asked Nico, "You've mentioned him three times now."

"Oh, Tyrell's the activities director. Even though Dad _made_ the camp, Tyrell was one of the first campers. He's pretty much in charge." Miles grinned. "He's totally cool! Just wait and meet him, you'll see."

Miles began to walk through the pavilion, and Nico followed, feeling strangely nervous, looking around at all the kids. Were these all really his siblings?

"Hey Miles!" Someone shouted. It was the girl who looked like Bianca. "Aren't you supposed to be on perimeter duty?"

"I _am_ on duty!" Replied Miles, "And I found someone by the perimeter!" He put a hand on Nico's shoulder. "This is..." He trailed off, a look of surprise coming over his face as he turned to Nico. "Hey, I never caught your name!"

"Nico Di Angelo." Said Nico. A half an hour ago, he wouldn't have said his full name, or even his first name, but now, Nico felt sure he could trust Miles.

"Your name sounds like 'Taco'." Commented Miles. Before Nico could even comprehend that Miles had just compared _him_ , the Ghost King, to a _taco_ , Miles shouted,

"This is Taco Di Angelo, everyone! New arrival!"

The effect of the words 'new arrival' were instant. Nico had just enough time to say weakly, " _Taco_ , Miles? _Seriously?"_ before he was surrounded by everyone in the pavilion.

"Welcome to COU!"

"What's your _real_ name?"

"How old are you?"

"Nico to meet you, Taco!"

"Don't worry, Taco, Miles gives everyone stupid nicknames."

Everyone was trying to shake Nico's hand. Names and introductions were shouted out, and Nico was sure he would never remember anything. Even as he was trying to answer everyone's eagerly asked questions, he realized it was a lost cause. There were too many people.

The girl who looked like Bianca beamed at him as she pushed her way up to the front.

"I _finally_ get to meet a new arrival!" she squealed. "The name's Ella by the way. Nice to meet you... _Taco_!" She smirked as she said his 'name'.

Nico couldn't seem to make his mouth form words as Ella gave him a huge hug. If anyone else had hugged him, he would've drawn away, but he couldn't push her away. As Ella pulled back, a concerned expression crossed her face as she looked at Nico.

"You okay?" she said, her voice turning hesitant, like she had done something wrong.

Miles, who was still standing next to Nico, glanced at his face, and then shouted over the din, "Alright guys, back up! Taco needs his space!"

Nico turned to glare at Miles when he said 'Taco', but there was no edge to it. Despite the nickname, Nico was grateful for Miles as, one by one, the campers drifted back to their cabins, giving him last grins or handshakes. Ella stayed by his side, still looking worried.

"You look really pale, Tac - I mean -Nico. You okay?" she asked, "Everyone gets a bit over-excited when a newcomer arrives. Sorry if you got overwhelmed."

Nico's stomach had twisted into a knot as she spoke to him. Why, oh, why did she have to look _so much_ like Bianca.

"I-I'm fine." He stammered. He stepped away from her. "Thanks."

"Oh, by the way, Nico, this is Egg Forrester." said Miles, "She teaches sparring here."

" _Ella!"_ she snapped, elbowing Miles painfully in the ribs. "It's Ella, you doofus." Then she grinned at Nico. "What'd I say? Everyone gets a nickname from Miles."

NIco nodded, and felt himself smiling at her, the knot in his stomach slowly untying itself. The worried lines on her face disappeared.

"I gotta' get going. My cabin mates are probably waiting for me" she said, pointing back to her cabin, "But from the looks of it, we'll be in the same cabin, Nico." she added cheerfully. "I'll see you guys around!" With a happy wave, she jogged back to her cabin.

"Nice bunch, huh?" Said Miles cheerily, as Ella disappeared into the Brown cabin. "New arrivals don't happen often, and it's always a let down if they don't stay."

"Don't stay?" Repeated Nico.

"Well yeah. If a sibling thinks they can live in the outside world safely, then they go. It's not like we _force_ anyone to stay, but it's still a bummer when they leave." Miles looked at Nico. "You're gonna' stay, right?"

The instinctive answer 'no' was rising to Nico's lips when he hesitated. He was a child of Hades. No one would accept him in Camp Half Blood or in the mortal world. But here, everyone was like him...he thought about how just a few moments ago, everyone had been trying to shake his hand or pat him on the back. He thought about how Bianca - no, _Ella_ \- had hugged him...

"Maybe." He said, not meeting Miles's eyes.

A sad expression came over Miles's face, and Nico felt a nasty twinge of guilt in his stomach. Normally, he wouldn't have felt guilty about leaving, but everyone here actually seemed to _like_ him. It was a new feeling.

As they approached the door of the Black cabin, Miles knocked three times, and a few seconds later, the door swung open, revealing a tall boy with short-cropped black hair. He had a muscular build, and looked around twenty eight or twenty nine years old. Nico had never seen a demigod that old - usually demigods never lived past their teenage years.

"Miles!" he said with an easygoing smile.

"What's up, Tyrell." said Miles.

"You _do_ realize it's almost one o'clock, what're you-" his gaze fell onto Nico "I don't think I've seen you before." he said, confused.

"Tyrell, this is Taco-"

" _Nico-_ "

"Tomato, tamahto, Di Angelo." said Miles, smirking. "He's a new arrival!"

Tyrell laughed, and shook Nico's hand. "Nice to meet you, _Nico_." he said. "I'm Tyrell. I'm the activities director here."

"I know, Miles told me." said Nico, and Tyrell opened the door wider, and ushered the two of them in.

The inside of the cabin was set up more like a house than anything. A worn, leather couch sat across from a fire place at the end of the room, and four bunk beds lined the cabin, two on each wall. A table stood in the center of the room, completely covered with papers. Nico caught a glimpse of what looked like a map on one of them before Tyrell hastily stanched up a handful of the papers, and shuffled them into a messy pile.

"Sorry 'bout this." he said, "I was in the middle of something…"

After he had sufficiently cleaned up, he turned back to them. "So Nico, how long have you been here?"

"Um...an hour maybe…" he guessed.

"Do you know if you're Hades,or Pluto?" asked Tyrell. Nico stared at him with confusion.

"What d'you mean, _Pluto_?" he asked. "Isn't he a Roman god?"

Tyrell nodded, as if it was obvious. "Yeah. We have Greek and Roman kids here. I myself am a child of Pluto." he said.

"But...the Roman gods aren't real. They're just copies of the Greek gods that the Romans made up."

Miles snorted suddenly. "Don't let the Pluto kids hear you say that." he said. Tyrell rolled his eyes, then looked over at Nico.

"The Roman gods are in fact very real." he said, "They're like the alternate personalities of the Greek gods, but they're just as real as you and me. "

Nico stared for a moment, letting the revelation sink in. "First I have more siblings, now the Roman gods are _real…_ " he muttered, then he sighed. "You know what, why not? I've seen crazier things."

Tyrell grinned. "I'm going to assume you're a Greek. Romans would normally believe the Roman gods were real by instinct. How old are you?"

"Thirteen."

"Thirteen _?"_ repeated Tyrell, looking at him with surprise, "Huh, you look older."

"People tell me that a lot." said Nico quietly.

"You'll be in the Brown cabin. I can-"

At that moment, the door to the cabin swung open, revealing a tall, exhausted-looking girl. But even though she looked tired, she seemed to give out a bright, vibrant aura, with pointed, smiling features, and freckles splashed across her nose.

The thing that struck Nico most about her appearance was her hair and eyes. Her hair was bright, almost radiant gold, and her eyes a queer hue of gray-ish purple. So far in the camp, everyone Nico had seen had dark-colored eyes and hair. She looked only a little younger than Tyrell, maybe twenty seven years old.

Tyrell's eyes widened as he saw her. "Lucy!" he half yelled, seeming to forget all about Nico and Miles. The girl, Lucy, smiled, a look of satisfaction on her face, despite her otherwise haggard appearance.

"Hey, Tyrell." she said, sounding tired, but happy, "I'm back."

Tyrell's face broke into a grin, and he ran over to her. "You're back! When did you-"

"Only a few minutes ago." she said, reaching over and giving him a hug. Nico watched the exchange with bewilderment.

"Hey, Lucy! You're early!" said Miles, "How was the trip?"

"Tiring as always." she said, "But it's good to be back."

"Oh, right, sorry Nico." said Tyrell quickly, remembering manners, "Er, this is Lucinda Blackwood. Lucy, this is Nico. He's a new arrival."

"Welcome." said Lucy. Her face suddenly solemned suddenly, and she turned back to Tyrell. "Anyway...I've got the-" she paused, looking over at Nico and Miles. Tyrell nodded.

"Could you guys excuse us for a minute?" asked Tyrell, "This won't take long." He and Lucy walked over to the door of a smaller room that Nico hadn't noticed, at the end of the main room, talking quietly as they went. As they entered, they closed the door behind them.

"What are they doing?" asked Nico, looking at the closed door.

Miles shrugged, "Those two are the oldest campers here, the first children of Hades to ever stay at COU. Lucy is pretty much Tyrell's right hand. They're probably planning some activity or other...they don't really share a lot of stuff though." Added Miles. Nico sighed. He didn't like places that kept secrets. That never lead to anything good.

"Why does Lucy look so different?" Nico asked suddenly. The question was out of his mouth before he could stop it. "That came out wrong-"

"It's alright." Said Miles, grinning. "I was wondering when you'd ask, everybody does. Lucy's actually _not_ a daughter of Hades. Her mom his Hecate"

"Nico blinked. "But I thought you said this place only-"

"She's a _Legacy_ of Hades."

"Legacy?" Repeated Nico blankly.

"A Demigod who's descended from another god." Supplied Miles, "She's a child of Hecate, but one of her relatives was a child of Hades. She thinks it was her Great-aunt was a child of Hecate or something like that. She never found out found out for sure." Miles shrugged, "Point is, she's still allowed to stay here. Besides, Hecate is the partial queen of the Underworld, so any child of Hecate _and_ legacy of Hades is welcome here."

"Oh." Said Nico."But then why would she stay here? Why not at Camp Half-" Nico suddenly stopped himself from mentioning Camp Half-Blood. The campers at COU probably didn't know that Camp Half-Blood existed. If they did, they wouldn't stay in the Underworld.

"Well, it's not like Hecate has a home for her." said Miles, oblivious to the fact that Nico hadn't even finished his question. "Hecate abandoned Lucy's family. Broke her father's heart, too. Hades, on the other hand, guided her to COU."

Nico thought about that. Before the Titan war, there were no cabins at Camp Half-Blood for the minor gods. Even if Lucy knew about Camp Half-Blood, she wouldn't have a proper place there. At that moment, the door to the small room opened, and Tyrell and Lucy walked out.

"-sure that's not going to be a problem." Tyrell was saying. "Great job, Lucy, you did good."

Lucy nodded, then rubbed her eyes. "I'm gonna' go crash before getting back on duty." She said, "The journey really takes it out on me."

Tyrell nodded, as Lucy walked towards the door. "Later, Lucy!" Said Miles. Lucy waved, before walking out.

Tyrell stared at the door for a minute, a look of deep thought on his face, before turning back to Nico and Miles.

"Sorry about that." He said.

"Not a problem." Said Miles.

"Anyway, Miles, you should get back to perimeter duty, I'll show Nico around."

Miles immediately pouted. "It's so _boring_." He grumbled. Nevertheless, he stood up, giving Tyrell a respectful nod, and Nico a final grin, before walking out.

"You ready to go?" Tyrell asked, turning back to Nico.

"Yeah, let's go." said Nico without hesitating. For the first time in a long while, he felt, well, _excited_ to see what was out there _._

Tyrell grinned and lead him out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! I'm back. And the third chapter is here, YAY! I took note of your guys's reviews, special thanks to Risa Silvara for your constructive criticism - I never thought about that plothole! Anyway, lets get right into the chapter.**

 _ **Chapter Three**_

"So _everyone_ here's a child of Hades? Hades has broken his oath, what, _a dozen_ times?" Nico asked as they strolled away from the Black Cabin.

"We've got a fair few legacies." Said Tyrell, "Normally, they wouldn't be let in, but they're in danger too. If any of the gods found out about their heritage, it would definitely tip them off about what's going on. Plus, Hades hasn't broken his oath a _dozen_ times, there are a lot of siblings here." Tyrell paused thoughtfully for a moment. "It's weird, actually, I've noticed that of all the gods, Hades stays with his partners longer...usually has more than one kid. I'm willing to bet you have a sibling?"

Nico didn't reply, but Tyrell's attention was turned away from him as they reached the center of the courtyard.

"We can skip over the cabins area, since Miles probably already showed you that." Said Tyrell, "I can show you the armory first. Normally campers pick out their weapons there, but." He nodded at Nico's sword, "Looks like you've already got yourself a fine weapon, so we don't need to worry about that either."

As the passed through the pavilion of cabins, Nico noticed many of the campers grinned and waved at Tyrell, and he could see the respect for him that they had. Respect, and something more...loyalty. Nico was willing to bet that all these campers saw Tyrell as _way_ more than just an activities director. He was their best friend. Every single one of them.

Tyrell lead him to a small, cement building with a low ceiling. "This is the armory." he said. After briefly showing him the impressively large store of weapons they had, Tyrell continued the tour.

COU was considerably smaller than Camp Half-Blood. Camp Half Blood was huge. There was a forge, a volleyball court, a coliseum, an archery range, a sword fighting field, an arts and crafts pavilion, strawberry fields, woods, a lake, an amphitheatre, a bonfire area, the Big House, the cabins- he could go on for half an hour.

In comparison, COU was tiny. It only took about forty minutes to go through the entire underground camp. It had a basic archery range, but with only three targets. There was no sword fighting field, instead a small arena that doubled as a place to practice hand-to-hand combat. Instead of a proper climbing wall, there was just a large pile of mud-colored boulders.

Nico was about to pass by the pile of rocks when a large spurt of lava suddenly streamed out from a gap in the rocks, causing him to jump at least half a foot in the air. Tyrell laughed as Nico did his best to not look surprised.

"Fire pumped straight from the River Phlegethon." said Tyrel proudlyl, nodding towards the liquid fire now trickling down the rocks. "We added it to the Climbing Pile because it was too easy otherwise."

They were passing by the camp store, with basic items like clothes and toothbrushes, when the question occurred to Nico,

"Where are you getting all this stuff anyway?" he asked. At Camp Half Blood, satyrs and nature spirits grew strawberries to sell, and money from that was used to maintain the camp, but Nico hadn't seen any fields here, and obviously there were no satyrs or nature spirits.

"Dad supplies everything." said Tyrell casually. "When I first came here, I was the first ever camper. Me, Lucy, and a couple of others. We had all been guided here by dad, only some of us knew we were even demigods. Dad appeared and explained how he had made this place for us to train where Zeus wouldn't find us. You know about the Pact of the Big Three, don't you?"

Nico nodded and Tyrell continued, "Ever since then, the supplies we need, food, clothes, weapons, all the stuff in the camp store, it all just appears."

Nico nodded, but couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. All his life, he had longed to know his father, and even when he found out he was a demigod, Hades hadn't even properly claimed him. The most interaction they had was during the Titan war, which was mainly Nico harassing the god to help fight in the war. Not exactly quality father-son time. And meanwhile, Nico had had brothers and sisters living in the Underworld, Hades providing for all their needs. Children who could casually refer to their father as 'dad' instead of as 'Lord Hades'. It was a luxury that Nico never had.

After quickly seeing an old, wooden park pavilion which served as the mess hall, they approached a large, empty field. Scattered in seemingly random places were an assortment of objects, two or three wooden boards stood up in one place, and a row of dead potted trees stood on the opposite side of the field.

"This is the Power Practicing Field." said Tyrell, gesturing to the space. "The name is pretty self-explanatory." Tyrell suddenly laughed to himself. "At first we tried to abbreviate it, and call it the PP Field."

Nico snorted, and Tyrell grinned at him. "You can guess how that turned out."

"You just come here and practice summoning the Dead?" asked Nico. "You don't need a whole field to do that."

"And other things. Everyone here has the same basic set of powers, blending into shadows, summoning the dead, plant killing-"

"Plant killing?" repeated Nico, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, it comes in handy!" said Tyrell.

"Yeah, like when you're fighting a shrub." said Nico with mock seriousness.

Tyrell rolled his eyes. "Never mind, basically, campers just come here to hone their skills, or learn the harder things, like Shadow-Stripping for Greeks or Jewel-Summoning for Romans."

"Shadow Stripping?" he repeated. He had never heard of that, and Minos had never taught him about it. He had never heard of Jewel Summoning either, but the name was self-explanatory.

"Shadow Striping is one of the harder skills, but not too challenging if you've already mastered the basic skillset." said Tyrell. "You manipulate the shadows around you, and use them to strip a monster of all its flesh, so nothing but its skeleton remains. Then you can control that skeleton, and use it to fight."

Nico stared at Tyrell, then let out a long, low whistle. He _had_ to try that.

Tyrell continued, "After that there's really only one other power to learn, but it's _really_ hard, barely anybody can do it."

Nico leaned forward, eager to hear.

"We call it Shadow Travelling. Basically you teleport from-"

"I can Shadow Travel." said Nico quickly, "You don't need to explain."

Tyrell stared at him, going silent, his eyes suddenly widening, like he had never seen anyone quite like Nico before. After an uncomfortably long moment of silence, Nico noticed Tyrell's jaw had dropped a little.

"What?"

"No way." said Tyrell, looking Nico up and down. "Your kidding, right? You can't really shadow travel, can you?"

"Uh, yes I can." said Nico, "Why do you look like someone just told you Hades is handing out cake and flowers?"

"But... dude, _no one_ can shadow travel...it's like, the hardest thing to do! Only one or two people here can Shadow Travel _short_ distances, and _that's_ super-draining for them." Tyrell stuttered, shock in his voice. "Only really rare and powerful demigods can do it."

Nico shrugged, then turned around, scanning the Power Practicing Field. His eyes fell onto a large panel of wood that had been stood up. Without hesitating, he ran towards it, drawing the shadows around him onto it. Right before he was about to collide, he jumped into the rift of shadows. The air turned cold and frigid. Concentrating on the place he wanted to go, he tore himself out of the shadows, emerging right behind Tyrell.

"Seems pretty easy to me." he said nonchalantly, smirking at the the look of utter disbelief on Tyrell's face as the older boy whirled around to look at him. Then, Tyrell's face split into a grin.

"Dude...that's _awesome_. You're not even tired or anything!"

"I only travelled a few feet, there's no reason to be tired from a jump that small." said Nico. A thoughtful look had come over Tyrell's face.

"If you can shadow travel, you're obviously a really powerful demigod." he said, his voice dropping to a murmur. It looked like he was talking to himself more than he was talking to Nico. "We can use you…"

Nico cocked an eyebrow, "Use me?" he repeated.

"For teaching!" added Tyrell quickly. "We can use you as a teacher! Maybe you can teach others how to shadow travel."

Nico said nothing.

"Anyway, we should move on." said Tyrell, hastily changing the subject. "After this there's only the garden patches to see, but those aren't very exciting. After that we can get you settled in the brown cabin. You are gonna' stay aren't you?"

Nico hesitated. _Was_ he going to stay? What about going going back to Camp Half-Blood?

Here he was, in a camp surrounded by other children of Hades, his _siblings._ He thought of how everyone had flooded around him when they realized he was new. _They_ didn't flinch when they touched his cold hands. They all had hands like that. _They_ didn't look wary when he approached, they all had the same father. He thought of how Miles had befriended him immediately, and how Bianca- no, how _Ella -_ had hugged him. If this place wasn't his home, nowhere was.

' _But Percy…'_ whispered a little voice in his mind. ' _If you stay here, you won't get to see him that often…'_

Nico tried to ignore the little voice. He was being stupid, and he knew it. Percy was with Annabeth now, there was no reason to go back to Camp Half-Blood. But _still_ , something deep down refused to let go. He couldn't stay at COU...he just couldn't.

"I...I can't stay." Nico muttered, his eyes on the ground.

Tyrell blinked, a look of confusion coming onto his face.

"Not staying?" said Tyrell in an almost bewildered voice, like it was the most unimaginable thing possible. "Why not? Is there something you don't like, or-"

"I can't." said Nico, more conviction in his voice this time. "It's complicated."

"But where are you going to go?" asked Tyrell. "COU is the only safe place for children of Hades. If you leave-"

"There's another place." said Nico, "Another camp for demigods. It's called Camp Half-Blood. I'm going back there."

Tyrell froze, his eyes suddenly wide. He looked around wildly, as of to see if anyone had heard Nico, but the Power Practicing Field was empty.

"You - you know about…" he lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard. " _You know about Camp-Half Blood?!"_

Nico nodded, trying to understand why Tyrell was suddenly acting like he had just revealed a dark secret.

"Zeus already knows about me, and I was born _before_ the Pact of the Big Three was made - it's a long story." he added, seeing Tyrell's confused expression. "The point is, I'm not in any danger there...at least not right now."

"But - but you can't go to Camp Half-Blood!" Stuttered Tyrell incredulously, as if it were the most unthinkable thing in the world. "Wha - why would - why would you even _think_ of - Nico, the gods are _evil!_ "

Nico stared at Tyrell, taken aback. He had seen plenty of demigods who resented their parents, but _evil?_

"And Camp Half-Blood is where all their demigod kids stay!" continued Tyrell, his eyes bulging. "You can't go there! They'll - they'll kill you! Or capture you, or _something!_ Other demigods aren't to be trusted - they're - they're the children of the _enemy!"_

Tyrell paused to draw breath, and Nico stared at him with awe. He hadn't seen this side of Tyrell - he was talking like he wanted to bring the gods down. It reminded him of the demigods in Kronos's army.

When Tyrell continued, his voice was calmer. "Why do you think Hades made this camp for us? The gods would blast us to dust the moment we set foot in the upper-world." Tyrell paused, his eyes grave. "Nico….you're telling me you used to _go_ to Camp Half-Blood? You lived there?"

Nico nodded, and opened his mouth to speak, but Tyrell cut him off.

"Don't go back." He said shortly. His voice made it sound like an order, but his eyes looked pleading. "For your own safety - I…" he trailed off, then sighed, and then spoke in a sort of brotherly voice. "Look, I like you, Nico. And technically, we're siblings. You're my little brother… and I don't want another one of my siblings to get hurt…"

He tailed off, leaving Nico to wonder what he meant by _another_ one of his siblings. But it was more than clear from his tone of voice that whatever he meant by it, it had hurt him badly.

Finally, Nico broke the silence. "Look, I know most of the gods are...well, complete jerks." said Nico. "And Zeus _does_ hate children of Hades...my mother, Maria Di Angelo, Zeus killed her when he was trying to kill my sister and me."

Tyrell's eyes filled with sympathy. "I'm sorry." He said quietly, looking genuinely sorry. He paused for a second, then asked, "You have a sister?"

Nico felt his chest going tight. "Had." said he said quietly.

"Oh." said Tyrell, realizing what Nico meant. "Sorry."

Tyrell didn't press for details, but Nico for some reason kept talking. "Her name was Bianca…she was a hunter of Artemis. She was the best sister ever...always there. After our mom died, Hades erased our memories, and sent us to the Lotus Casino. We were frozen in time there for years. But through all of it, she was always there. She was the only one I had. After that, we went to a military school. That's when we found out we were demigods. But then….then she was killed a few years ago, on a quest…" As he spilled his feelings, it felt like a huge weight was being lifted off his chest. "She looked just like Ella." Nico added, smiling sadly.

Nico didn't know why he was telling Tyrell all this. It had been long time since he had ever talked so openly about his family. But then again, Tyrell was technically his older brother. They _were_ family.

Tyrell was silent for a moment then he spoke. "I had a younger sister, Julia."

Nico looked up in surprise - he hadn't expected the conversation to go this way.

Tyrell's voice was heavy as he continued, "Zeus doesn't know about most of the campers here. He still thinks Hades doesn't have any more kids. But he knew about me and Julia. We were both going to COU, and Zeus was on our trail. We almost got away...almost." Tyrell's shoulders sagged as he went on "I made it into the Underworld. Zeus couldn't hurt me there. But Julia, she…she didn't make it in time. " His voice turned hollow, and dead-sounding. "One second she was right behind me, and then a bolt of lighting came out of nowhere, and…and she was gone."

Nico stared at Tyrell in silence, unsure of what to say. Luckily, he was spared having to speak as Tyrell suddenly spoke again, his voice now full of conviction.

"The other gods are _not_ our friends, Nico, no matter what they told you at that _Camp Half-Blood."_ He sneered as he said the name of the camp. "They were brainwashing you there. You can't go back to that... _place._ " He said the word 'place' like he was saying 'hellhole'. "I'm telling you Nico, you have to stay here, where your safe."

Nico said nothing, looking at the older boy's pleading face, his brain going at a hundred miles per hour. COU was an incredible place to Nico. He was surrounded by people who understood what it was like to be a child of Hades, who were _like_ him. It was a place where he wasn't alone anymore, where he was surrounded by _family._ A place where he finally, _finally,_ for the first time in years, felt accepted. It would be almost painful to leave this place behind.

But he couldn't stay. Not when everyone here thought that the gods were evil. Hating the gods lead people down dark paths. Nico remembered meeting Ethan Nakamura, and Luke Castellan, who both wanted nothing more than to bring the gods down - and now look where they were. He thought of Hestia, the goddess of the hearth. _She_ most certainly wasn't evil - she was kind.

"I can't stay." Said Nico. His voice was heavy with guilt. Leaving this place behind wouldn't be easy, but his mind was made up.

Tyrell stared at his face for a moment, trying to see what Nico was thinking, then finally gave a resigned sigh. "I can't change your mind, can I?" He said in a defeated sort of voice.

Nico shook his head no.

Then, a very odd expression came over Tyrell's face. His features, which had one second ago been heavy with emotion, turned suddenly calm and cool, his eyes becoming cold and calculating. His mouth twisted downward into an ugly frown that did not suit the rest of his his face. Nico fought the urge to step back from him, the sudden change in demeanor alarming.

"Tyrell?"

"It's such a shame Nico. I liked you a lot."

"What are you-"

"We could have used you so much...and you can _shadow travel_. You're powerful."

"What are you talking abo-"

"I'm sorry that I have to do this, Nico." His voice sounded genuinely sorry.

Alarm bells went off in Nico's head. "Do wha-"

"Sorry, kid. You'll thank me later."

And then, before Nico could react, before he even realized what was about to happen, Tyrell drew his sword from its sheath, and slammed the hilt into Nico's temple, and the world went black.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**_

The first thing Nico became aware of was the throbbing pain on the side of his head. He groaned and fingered his temple, where a large, rapidly swelling bump had formed. As soon as he touched it, white hot pain ripped through his skull. He jerked his hand away,but the pain still ravaged through his forehead, so intense it felt like his whole had was tearing open. He moaned, jerking his hand away from the bump, and gritting his teeth as the pain finally receded.

He slowly dragged his eyes open, and the world came blearily into focus. He was lying on a hard, lumpy mattress on the bottom of a bunk bed. There was a hard block of wood under his head - he guessed that it was supposed to be a pillow. Turning his head slowly so that it didn't hurt, he looked around. He was in a small, cramped building, packed with bunk beds, all crammed together and shoved up against the walls. The ceiling, walls, and floors were all cold, gray metal, giving the whole room the feeling of a prison cell. The ceiling was low, and the pale white lights along it were all flickering eerily, only adding to the feeling of a cell. Where was he?

Then the memories all came crashing back to him. Finding COU...meeting Miles and Tyrell...Tyrell giving him a tour and trying to convince him to stay, and then...Tyrell _attacked_ him.

Nico sprang up in the bed, and his head exploded with pain again, but he ignored it. He had to get out of here. He didn't know why Tyrell attacked him, but he knew one thing; he couldn't trust anyone here. And he had to leave. _Now._

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, and staggered to his feet, his forehead still screaming in agony. He stumbled around, his hands out feeling blindly for his sword. Pain pulsed through his head, ripping apart his brain, and black spots danced through his vision. Through the haze of pain, he faintly heard the sound of a door opening, and footsteps coming towards him. He tried to run, but his mind was spinning. It felt like someone was pressing white-hot metal against his whole head. He felt his knees buckle in pain underneath him, and he hit the floor with a hard _thump._

More black spots swam over his eyes as he felt two pairs of hands dragging him back to the hard bed, and one last thought echoed in his mind as he blacked out.

' _I have to get out of here.'_

 _-o0O0o-_

Pale white light filtered dimly through Nico's opening eyelids when he finally woke up again.

A quiet groan escaped his lips as he slowly dragged his eyes open fully. He blinked a few times, slowly sitting up on the lumpy bed. The prison cell he was in hadn't changed. He wondered how long he had been out. He hesitantly fingered his temple where he had felt the bump, and realized that his whole head was completely swathed in cloth bandages. He could feel his tangled hair sticking out at odd angles from the gaps in the bandages. If he could have looked in a mirror, he would bet he looked like some sort of deranged mummy.

"Well look at that, the zombie lives!" A girls sarcastic voice suddenly said. Nico jumped, and whirled to the left to see two people sitting on the bunk bed across from him, watching him.

The first person was the girl who had spoken. She was tall and slim, and looked a little older him. She wore a black leather jacket, and a dark purple shirt under that with a black skull on it. Her jeans and combat boots were black too. Her dark hair was cut short, and choppy, and stuck out in little spikes in all directions. She reminded Nico of Thalia Grace, with the same tough-as-nails, punk girl look.

But there was something that seemed much... _darker_ about her. Something dark, and brooding. Her skin was uber pale, and there were deep black bags under her angry eyes. Her black eyes themselves were dead and hopeless looking, as if whatever she had to live for had been taken away long ago.

Next to her was a boy. He had a small, and skinny frame, a bit shorter than the girl. His face was partially hidden under the hood of his gray hoodie. He wore a pair of old, very faded, blue jeans. Through the shadows cast by his hood, Nico could make out bit of his face and a splash of freckles across his nose. As he looked at the boy's face, Nico had the distinct feeling he had seen him before.

"'Bout time you rose from the dead," Added the girl. "You've been out for nearly three days - Tyrell gave you a pretty nasty concussion... Jordan here thought you kicked the bucket while you were sleeping. Though to be honest, that would've been fine with me."

The boy jabbed her with his elbow, shaking his head, as though saying ' _Not making a good impression.'_

Nico leaped to his feet, his hand instinctively going to his belt, feeling for his sword, but it wasn't there.

"Oh yeah, Tyrell took your sword before he dumped you here." said the girl, noticing Nico's grasping hand. "Said something out wanting to inspect it. He's probably gonna' keep it for himself." she added.

The boy nodded silently next to her, but still didn't speak.

Nico balled his fists. He didn't need his sword to take on these two. He just wondered how many people he would have to fight to get out of here.

"Who are you two?!" He demanded, his voice angry, "Where am I?! And where's Tyrell - why did he attack me? Is he keeping me prisoner here? Did he send you two to guard-"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Here we go again…" she muttered. She turned to the boy. "Can we just knock him out again, Jordan? He's so much nicer when he's unconscious. Much quieter."

The boy called Jordan narrowed his eyes at her, and shook his head. The girl sighed. "I know, I know, be nice to the new arrivals."

He nodded, then jerked his head at Nico, and pointed back at the girl meaningfully.

"Okay, fine, I'll start explaining."

Nico wondered how she she was getting this conversation out of a completely mute boy, but at this point, he really didn't care.

"Explaining _what_ to me? What the Hades is going on?" he demanded.

"Just shut up and listen, won't you." Snapped the girl. Jordan elbowed her again, and she ground her teeth in frustration.

"To answer your first questions, no Tyrell didn't send us to guard you." She began in a strained sort of voice. "We're not working for him. We were taken prisoner by him, just like you."

 _That_ caught Nico off guard.

"Prisoners?" He repeated slowly.

She nodded. "Me, you, Jordan, and a couple others. Tyrell took us all prisoner when we tried to leave."

Nico thought back to all the other children of Hades he had met when he first came. "You mean _all_ those campers at COU...are prisoners? I'm finding that hard to believe"

"No, you idiot, not _them."_ the girl snapped. "Tyrell's adoring little pawns are here on their own. It's only the nine of us who he imprisoned. You make ten."

"Nine?" Nico repeated blankly.

The girl sighed, running her fingers through her messy hair. "I hate explaining." She muttered. "Look, when you came to the Underworld, you felt the aura of life, didn't you? It was what lead you to the secret entrance in the cliff?"

Nico nodded, and she went on, "Once a child of Hades finds the camp, they always want to stay. Like, _always_."

"Why?"

He half expected the girl to call him an idiot again, but instead, her expression softened a bit. "Children of Hades rarely have happy lives you know." she said, "We're dark, we're powerful, and we're _different._ Even among other demigods we're different. You've noticed haven't you? Haven't you ever felt unaccepted?"

She looked at Nico expectantly. He said nothing, but a lump had formed in his throat, remembering his time back at camp Half Blood.

"There's something in our blood that sets us apart from people." She continued, her voice sounded a bit sad. Nico had a feeling she was thinking back to her own memories. "Usually by the time we get to COU, we're desperate for someone - for _anyone_ \- to accept us. And then suddenly, the minute you set foot in the camp, you're surrounded by people who understand you perfectly. Everything at COU is just so... _right_ for us. Everything's tailor made for the children of Hades _._ Really, who wouldn't want to stay?"

Nico's chest tightened a bit. Everything she said was one hundred percent true - at least for him. Everyone at COU seemed to understand him, understand what it was like being a child of Hades...and he _had_ wanted to stay _. So badly._

"Anyway, usually when kids come to COU, they stay, they train, they make friends, they're accepted, and everything's fine." continued the girl. "But there are some people who don't want to stay. People who try to leave. People like me and you. And Tyrell doesn't like that."

Nico was silent for a second, taking everything in. "You're saying Tyrell took you and me prisoner because we wanted to leave COU?" he asked in disbelief. "Why does he care? What does he want with us?"

"Not just you and me." She said. "Jordan here too." She said, pointing to the boy next to her. "And seven others. He's keeping us all here."

"But... _why?"_ asked Nico incredulously. "When I told him I wanted to leave, he started talking about how it wasn't safe to leave. But if he wanted to keep me _safe-_ "

The girl snorted. "You think he's keeping us here out of the _goodness of his heart?_ " she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Keeping us here to _protect_ us?"

At this, Jordan rolled his eyes, but still said nothing.

"He's not keeping us here to _protect_ us." She said with disgust. "He's keeping us here because he needs us. He needs as many soldiers as he can get."

"Soldiers?"

"For his own little personal army." she sneered. "All those kids you met at COU? He doesn't train them nothing. He's making an army of elite warriors for himself. And he needs all the soldiers he can get. That includes us. So if you don't stay willingly, he takes you prisoner."

Nico looked at her with shock. "An _army?"_ he said incredulously. "What does he need a freaking _army_ for?"

"To take over Olympus, of course." She said simply. Nico stared at her.

"It's been his plot since the very beginning." She said, "He's gonna' amass an army of Children of Hades, and train them 'till they're all warriors. When he has enough people, he'll strike. But he won't go to Olympus first - oh no. He knows how powerful demigods can be. The first thing he'll do is storm Camp Half-Blood. And he'll _slaughter_ all the demigods who stand in his way. Then he'll march on Olympus, and conquer it. Conquer it in the name of Hades."

Nico's mind was reeling in shock as he took in all this information. "What - how - that's - that's _ridiculous."_ he spluttered. "That's absolutely ridiculous." he said. "How the heck does he plan to even take over Camp Half Blood with, what, thirty demigods? He's outnumbered - there were at least one hundred demigods when I left, and with new ones coming in - he'd never be able to defeat them all."

"Wouldn't he?" said the girl, raising and eyebrow. "There are actually thirty three demigods here. Think about it."

"He's not just attacking with thirty three _ordinary_ demigods, he's attacking with thirty three _Children of Hades._ Just _one_ child of the Big Three can conquer 15 demigods all by themselves. _Thirty three_ of us? We'd be unstoppable."

"Not to mention all the _legions_ of millions of undead warriors we'll all be summoning. One child of Hades alone can summon legions of warriors - all of us? We'd summon so many the underworld would probably be empty. And the undead can't be killed except by Children of Hades. Even if they managed to kill one zombie, we would summon ten more."

"And then there's all the hellhounds and furies and monsters of the underworld that Tyrell can summon. Every monster in the underworld will attack the camp."

"And to top it all off, he's taking Camp Half Blood completely by surprise, no one would be expecting an attack. And even if they did expect us, half the demigods there are new and untrained. But us? We're all trained to the elite level. Even if we weren't, we have powers." She smiled a terrible, hopeless sort of smile. "Camp Half Blood doesn't stand a chance."

Nico quietly took this all in. She was right. Camp Half-Blood might be able to withstand many things, but he didn't think they could withstand this.

But it still didn't all add up.

"They won't stand for this." he said suddenly. "I met all the kids at COU, Miles, and Ella - all those kids there, they wouldn't do this...they wouldn't attack a bunch of innocent demigods."

"Oh yes they would." Interrupted the girl. "Tyrell hasn't told them about his plot yet - the only reason we know is because there's no need to keep secrets from prisoners who are trapped."

"But once tells them, they won't-"

"He has them all wrapped around his hand. Haven't you seen they way they all _adore_ him?" She sneered, "He's more than their leader, you know. Every time a new camper arrives, he meets them _personally_ , and gives them a tour." She smiled grimly. "Then he tells a sad, heartfelt story about how Zeus killed his _sister-"_

"His sister?" Nico suddenly interrupted. "He told me about her - but he said he hadn't told anyone else before-"

The girl laughed mirthlessly. "Hadn't told anyone? _Please._ He tells every new arrival. That way, they all _bond_ with him. They trust him. And after that, as they stay at camp, they slowly get brainwashed into thinking the rest of the gods are evil. They think that Tyrell _loves_ them all like brothers and sisters." She smiled grimly. "They would all do anything for him. All he has to do is ask, and they'd lay down their lives taking over Olympus for him."

Nico felt his chest tighten, now seeing Tyrell in an entirely different light. Nico had trusted Tyrell right away. He seemed so open, so easygoing. Nico thought of him as a friend. There was no doubt in his mind that if he had stayed for much longer, he would be just as devoted to Tyrell as the rest of the kids.

"But...but why keep us prisoner here then?" he asked. "We know who Tyrell _really_ is now. We're not going to fight for him. _I'm_ not going to attack my friends at camp just because he says so."

The girl shrugged. "Jordan and I have been trying to figure that out for a long time." she said, looking at Jordan, "We still don't know exactly how he's going to make us fight. He hasn't given us any death threats, so I don't think he'll kill us if we don't fight. Jordan thinks he's probably gonna' have Blackwood do some creepy magic on us to _make_ us fight."

Jordan mimed drinking something, and the girl added, "He thinks it's a potion. I definitely wouldn't put it past Blackwood to force us to drink some magic-Hecate-voodoo stuff."

"Blackwood?" Repeated Nico.

"Lucinda Blackwood. Tyrell probably introduced you to her as Lucy. She's the legacy of Hecate."

Nico nodded, remembering the golden-haired girl. "She knows about this?"

"She's Tyrell's right hand." said the girl. Next to her, Nico could see Jordan tensing up a bit as they talked about Lucy. "She's pretty much been helping him since the very beginning. Blackwood does all of Tyrell's dirty work. She makes monthly trips to Camp Half Blood to spy on them - you know, gather intel."

Nico remembered when he had met Lucy, she said she had said she had just gotten back from somewhere. He wondered vaguely if she had just gotten back from a spying mission at Camp Half Blood. That _would_ explain why Tyrell had been so secretive when talking to her.

"She's the one who oversees the prisoners training." Continued the girl. "You could say she's our warden. She makes sure none of us can escape. She has some sort of magic on the exit, none of us can undo it. Even though Jordan is a legacy of Hecate like her, he doesn't know how-"

Jordan stomped on her foot suddenly, glaring, as if saying ' _Shut. Up.'_

But Nico wasn't thinking about Jordan at the moment. A new thought had suddenly just occurred to him.

"Where _are_ we, exactly?" he asked. "We're not still at COU - Tyrell showed me the whole camp, there wasn't any place like this.

"There's a passage under the rock climbing pile." she explained. "Other campers don't usually go digging under it because of the lava. You just move the rocks aside, and there's a long passage that leads into...well...into here."

She pointed at the door of the building they were in. "Out there - it's like an alternate version of COU. Way smaller of course - no nice cabins or big fields for us prisoners. We're in military boot camp. Wake up at five, then train, eat, train, train,eat, and sleep." She shook her head. "That's our deal. All day, every day, until Tyrell decides he has enough soldiers to start his attack. Then he'll force us to fight."

Nico stared at the two teenagers before him, noticing the deep bags under the girl's eyes, and the sort of hopeless, broken look in both their eyes.

"How long have you been here?" He asked quietly.

She didn't reply, and Jordan just stared sadly at him. Then Kyra whispered her answer quietly. "Since I was nine. Seven years. Jordan's been here longer."

Nico's eyes widened. _Seven years_. She hadn't been able to escape for _seven years._ "I...didn't actually get your name."

"I didn't give it." She snapped. Jordan placed a hand on her knee, as if saying ' _Be nice'_. She sighed "I'm Kyra. Kyra Grey. And this is Jordan."

Nico was about to ask Jordan's last name when Kyra stood up suddenly and walked over to the door of the barrack, pulling it open.

"C'mon shrimp, it's time you get introduced to your new prison. Get used to the sight - you're never going to leave."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! Chapter five is finally out! I don't have much to say, so read, and enjoy!**

 _ **Chapter Five**_

The boot camp was like a tiny version of COU. Kyra lead Nico through the different areas, pointing out what was what, and Jordan walked silently behind them, nudging Kyra and pointing at anything she missed. There was just the one barrack for the campers to sleep in. There was a public bathroom right next to it, and only one shower.

The camp itself only had three training areas - a small field for sword-fighting, two targets for archery practice, and a small, fenced off area for power-practicing.

By the time Nico had seen the boot camp, it was a lunch break for the prisoners. There was no dining hall, so everyone was milling around the camp, sad-looking sandwiches in their hands. As they passed, Kyra would hastily introduce Nico, and tell him their names. There were only seven other prisoners - and Nico learned their names pretty quickly.

There was a tall, hulking, black boy named Darreck, who looked about 17 years old and had a huge scar across his nose. A tiny, brown-haired, buck-toothed, 10-year-old girl named Zorrie always seemed to be hanging around him.

When he was being introduced, Nico had tried to address Darreck, but it was Zorrie who had spoken up. She looked up at Nico, two feet shorter, and glared. Her tiny frame stood in front of Darreck protectively and her eyes shot daggers at anyone who looked at his scar. Her glare said one thing clearly. ' _You touch him, I'll rip your arms off.'_ Zorrie was incredibly scary for a 90-pound ten-year-old. For that matter, the hulking Darreck seemed was incredibly gentle. He normally worked as a medic during battles - and rarely fought directly.

There was a pair of identical twins - Penny and Charlotte, both 14 year, hispanic girls who both looked like they belonged in the Ares cabin. They were huge, and tough-looking.

There was a short, middle-eastern, super-hyper boy called Dominic, who kept twitching and jumping as he spoke, his eyes flitting backwards and forwards every other second, as if waiting for someone to jump out at him.

There was a tall, lanky boy named Ray, who was covered in freckles, and finally, a lithe, athletic looking girl named Garyn who talked nearly as much as Miles, although with none of his cheerfulness.

Nico's reception at the boot camp could not have been more different from his reception at COU. All the kids at COU had welcomed him with open arms - literally. At the boot camp, everyone had more or less the same demeanor as Kyra and Jordan - angry, hopeless, and broken.

"Well what did you think we'd be like?!" Snapped Kyra when he voiced his thoughts. "You try training nonstop in an underground prison with no escape. You wouldn't be all happy-smiley either."

Nico couldn't argue with that. He glanced around at his seven newfound companions. They milled around, some talking quietly amongst themselves, other brooding alone. It was such a stark contrast from the lively scene he had been at just the day before.

Suddenly, a huge, ear-splitting ringing sound tore through the camp. The prisoners all immediately stood up. Twitchy little Dominic dropped his sandwich mid-bite, half the color draining from his face, and the talkative girl, Garyn, immediately fell silent. Nico could see everyone tensing up at the sound of the bell.

"What was that?"

" _Blackwood_." Muttered Kyra. "It means lunch is over. Back to training."

As if on cue, a flash of golden hair caught Nico's attention. Lucy was striding towards them. There was a large sword strapped to her back, and in her hand, a rolled up her, five other older campers followed, all nine prisoners immediately jumped to their feet, forming a straight line.

" _C'mon!_ " Kyra muttered frantically, pulling Nico into the line. "Get in line!"

Jordan took his place in the line next to Nico. He still hadn't taken off his hoodie, but his hands were clenched into fists with anger as Lucy walked along the line. She surveyed the line of prisoners, her queer, grayish-purple eyes moving up and down the line.

"Hope you worms had a good lunch." she barked, her voice harsh. Hey eyes fell on Dominic, who had a bit of sandwich on his shirt. He flinched as she locked onto him. Without warning, Lucy drew her whip, and slashed him across the arm. Dominic let out a tiny whimper.

"You're disgusting." she sneered at him. "Sometimes I wonder why we even keep you worms around."

Dominic said nothing, but Nico felt a flare of anger. He wasn't normally the crusading, do-gooder type, but this was ridiculous.

"Hey, leave him alone!" She shouted. He moved to march up to Lucy, but Kyra and Jordan grabbed his arms in sync.

" _Are you crazy?!"_ Kyra whispered frantically.

Lucy turned to him, her eyes glinting with malice. "Lookie here. Looks like we have a newbie." she walked over to him scrutinizing him. Nico held his ground, glaring back at her.

"I know you." She said. "You're the Taco boy. You just arrived yesterday."

Nico let out a low growl, resisting the urge to punch her. But she was armed - he was not. She had backup - he doubted the other prisoners would lift a finger to help him fight back.

"Shame, you ended up here. I think Tyrell liked you." she sneered. "But I'll have you know I don't tolerate worms talking back to me."

She drew her whip, and Nico instinctively raised his arm as it soared towards him. The whip fell across his arm, slicing into his flesh. Hot, stinging pain exploded into his arm. Nico gritted his teeth as the pain intensified. He refused to make a sound - give her the satisfaction of knowing she hurt him.

Grabbing his arm with his other hand, Nico felt warm blood beginning to flow. He slowly raised his head, glaring at Lucy. She smirked at him, her eyes sparkling with evil. Then, she turned to Kyra and Jordan.

"Are you two his _baby sitters?_ " she asked patronizingly. The two stared at her in stony silence. "Keep him in line- understood?"

Neither of them responded, and her eyes narrowed. She reached for her whip. " _Answer me._ Understood?"

Kyra gave a tiny nod, but Jordan just stood there. Lucy reached up and ripped off his hood. "Jordan Blackwood, _answer me!"_

Nico's eyes widened, seeing Jordan's face fully for the first time. He knew why Jordan felt familiar now. Jordan and Lucy looked _exactly alike_. They both had vibrant, golden hair, pointy features, and a splash of freckles across their noses. They could have been twins if Lucy wasn't so obviously older than Jordan.

Jordan _Blackwood._ Lucy _Blackwood._ They were siblings. Full siblings.

Jordan glared at Lucy, his eyes the same purple-ish gray color as hers.

" _Understood,_ Jordan?" She growled.

Jordan's hands were curled into fists, his jaw clenched. There was a vein throbbing on his forehead. But grudgingly, he gave a small, cold nod.

"Good." said Lucy. She turned away from them. "Now get your sorry excuses of soldiers to the sword fighting field. I'm tired of looking at you worms."

The group slowly began to shuffle towards the field, and Kyra turned to Nico.

" _What as that for?!_ " she snapped. "Are you insane?! Why would you piss off Lucy?! Look what she did now." She gestured at his arm. It had stopped bleeding, and Nico could see the long, shallow whip cut.

Nico didn't respond. He was staring at Jordan, who had yanked up his hoodie again, hiding his face.

"Jordan, is Lucy your-"

Jordan's mouth curled into a growl, though no sound came out. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a black sharpie. Pulling up his sleeve, he scribbled something onto his arm and showed it to Nico.

In messy, angry handwriting, Jordan hand scrawled, " _She is_ _ **not**_ _my sister. And she_ _ **never will be again**_ _."_

Jordan was glaring at Nico, as if daring him to respond.

"Family isn't blood, Nico." Said Kyra, looking at Lucy's retreating form. "And if you ever call Lucy his _sister_ again, I _will_ maim you." She shot a glance at Jordan. "That cool with you?"

Jordan half-smiled.

 _-oO0Oo-_

When they reached the field, Nico watched as the group began to take swords or knives, each picking a dummy, and attacking it.

"We get our swords from one of Lucy's dogs." she said, pointing at thee five campers, who were handing out the weapons. "If you're lucky, you get to train with your own sword."

Kyra got her sword - it was made of celestial bronze, which stood ot among all the stygian iron. Nico noticed it was much longer than an ordinary sword. Jordan got a small dagger, and they gave Nico a generic sword. His own short sword was nowhere to be seen.

"And now, we just train." Said Kyra, walking off towards a dummy. "Until they say we can stop."

Nico stared at the two of them in disbelief.

"You seriously do what she says?!" He said with incredulously, "You don't even _attempt_ to resist?!"

"Trust me, shrimp, you'd much rather fight a dummy than what Blackwood has in store if you act up." Kyra muttered darkly. Nico let out a frustrated sigh.

"All you've ever talked talked about is how terrible this place is, and how impossible it is to escape! Yet, you don't even _try_ to not be bullied?!" He almost shouted, the frustration in his chest exploding out.

Kyra's body stiffened. Instinctively, Nico knew he had broken her last nerve. Then, she just took a deep breath through gritted teeth, gave him a deluxe-death-glare, and turned away from him. She walked over to another dummy, her sword in hand.

"Of course." Nico muttered, "You just _run away_. No wonder you've been stuck here for seven years."

Kyra froze in mid-step. That was the last straw. Without warning, she whirled around. Her face was dominated with a furious rage as she charged over to him, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, and yanking him upwards so they were eye level.

" _Don't you_ _ **dare**_ _talk to me about escape, shrimp!_ " She roared, her voice was filled with rage.

Nico's eyes widened. Jordan was standing behind them. He waited for Jordan to once again jump in and tell Kyra to calm down, but he didn't. Nico had crossed the line.

" _You have_ _ **no idea**_ _how much I've tried. You don't have_ _ **one freakin' clue**_ _!"_ her voice cracked with emotion _._ "You don't know...the _things_ they did to me...to _Jordan!_ They- they _tortured_ us, in ways you'd _never_ survive! Don't you _dare_ tell me we never tried, you little-"

"Hey! What's going on over there!" Lucy's voice suddenly shouted harshly.

Kyra's eyes were still burning with rage, but she said, "Nothing." Her voice was quivering with anger. She let go of Nico's shirt with a look of disgust on her face. "Absolutely nothing."

Then, she turned on her heel, and walked away towards a dummy, which she promptly began to pulverize.

Nico stood there in shock for a moment, staring dumbly after her. As she slashed the dummy mercilessly, he could see her shoulders shaking, whether from rage or from sadness, he couldn't tell.

As Jordan walked passed him, he stared at Nico for a moment. Then, he just shook his head at him in a ' _One day you'll get it_ ' kind of way, and walked off to join Kyra.

When he reached her, she dropped her sword, and hugged him, leaning on him for support. Her shoulders were still heaving. For the first time, Nico realized how much the two depended on each other. He again wondered what Tyrell and Lucy had done to make them like this. So _miserable._ So devoid of any hope.

"What're you staring at, newbie?" Lucy's harsh voice cut through his thoughts, "Get back to work!"

"No." Said Nico bluntly. The word was out of his mouth without him even thinking about it.

For a moment, Lucy looked surprised, then the expression was replaced with one of anger. "What did you just say to me, newbie?"

"I said no." He repeated, his voice deadly quiet. It was obvious no one said 'no' very often. Most of the he campers had stopped what they were doing, looking at him with expressions of disbelief.

"Start training Di Angelo, or I'll _make_ you start." Said Lucy, her eyes alight with malice. Nico remembered what Kyra had said, if they refused to train, Lucy would make them face something worse, but he held his ground, glaring at Lucy definitely.

"You asked for it, Di Angelo." She said. Then, she snapped her fingers, and the ground began to churn. A skeleton hand burst from the dirt, followed by an arm, a shoulder, a neck...within moments, a skeletal warrior had emerged from the ground.

Nico almost laughed out loud. "That's _it?_ " He said, snorting, " _That's_ the big scary thing you'll make me fight?"

"I wasn't finished." Said Lucy slyly "Can you guess _who's_ skeleton this is?"

She snapped her fingers again, a look of concentration coming over her face. This time, a thick, white, almost opaque colored mist erupted from her hands, swirling and shimmering slowly I'm midair. Lucy flicked her fingers outward, and the Mist began to move, drifting slowly over to the skeleton. It began to coil around the monster, cocooning it from head to toe. For a second, the Mist just stayed there, shimmering eerily around the skeleton. Then, it slowly began to recede, sinking into the ground, revealing a girl standing where the skeleton had been just moments ago.

Nico's eyes widened. The girl was about an inch taller than him, with olive colored skin, almond shaped eyes, and thick black hair, that lay in a long braid down her back. In her hand was was a celestial bronze sword. She donned silver colored clothes that seemed to glow like moonlight. Nico _knew_ this girl.

" _Bianca?_ " He choked out with disbelief, "What- _how_ -?"

The rest of the world disappeared. All Nico could see was his sister, standing before him. His mind was reeling in shock, the blood draining from his face. A powerful ache began to grow in his chest, a mixture of joy, and terrible, painful sadness. A huge lump had formed in his throat, suffocating his breathing.

Bianca's eyes narrowed, her face twisting into an angry scowl. She raised the sword, and charged at Nico. Nico jumped out of the way, his eyes going even wider with shock and fear.

"Bianca, what are you doing?!" He shouted with alarm. Why was she trying to hurt him?

Quick as a flash, Bianca, had turned to him again, and struck at him. Nico just barely managed to block the blow.

"Stop!" He said desperately as he dodged another blow. Bianca didn't stop though. This time, she kicked him in the chest. Caught off guard, he fell to the ground, landing hard on his back. His sword skittered out of his hand. Bianca loomed over him, her sword raised.

Nico felt like a scared ten year old again, staring up at his big sister, panic rising in his throat. His eyes burned, threatening to fill with tears. Bianca stared unblinkingly at him, oblivious to his terror. Nico managed to look into her eyes. They were black, cold, and empty, totally void of emotion. There was no cruelty in them, no anger, no emotion at all. They were just empty.

The rest of the world came back into focus. Nico knew Bianca would never look like that. He was suddenly aware of the crowd of people watching him, and aware of Lucy, with her hands outstretched, smiling maliciously. Realization of what was happening dawned upon him.

Lucy was a Daughter of Hecate, she could manipulate the Mist. The thing Nico was fighting was nothing but a skeleton, shrouded in Mist to _look_ like his sister.

A rush of adrenaline pumped through Nico's body. On pure instinct, he rolled over, away from Bianca, and grabbed his sword. His limbs were moving on their own as he leapt up and skillfully dodged a stab. His arms swung forward on their own, and before he could even contemplate what he was doing, he stabbed Bianca in the stomach.

Bianca froze, her eyes going so wide that he could see the whites around her irises. The blood was draining from her face, turning it ghostly white as she slowly looked down at her torso, where Nico's sword still remained. Deep, shockingly crimson blood was beginning to soak her clothes. She looked up again at Nico, but this time, her face was brimming with shock, fear, and sadness, like a small child who had just been betrayed by her best friend. Her eyes were suddenly full of tears, and her lips seemed chapped as she opened them. Her voice strained, she slowly managed to choke out,

"Nico... _mi caro._..how..." She breathed in a short gasp, " _How...could...you?"_

And with that, the light faded from her eyes, as she slowly sank to the ground, hitting the dirt with a final, mundane _thump_.

Normally, Nico would never show his emotions with so many people watching him. He would put his walls up, and walk away with a poker face, but this time, he didn't have the strength nor the resolve to do any of that. Instead, he felt his knees buckle. In the distance, he could faintly hear someone screaming - a horrible, guttural, sound of pain and misery. It took a second for him to realize the cry was coming from him.

White Mist was again beginning to shroud Bianca, covering her limp body like a shimmering veil. It swirled around her, then slowly sank into the ground once more. When it all faded away, nothing remained except a pile of bones where Bianca had been. The bones of the skeletal warrior Lucy had summoned.

Nico's chest heaved as he sucked breaths of air in and out. He suddenly realized his face was wet with burning tears.

' _It wasn't real.'_ He told himself over and over. ' _It wasn't real, it wasn't real, it wasn't real. It was just a trick of the Mist. I didn't kill Bianca. I_ _ **didn't**_ _kill Bianca."_

But the face of his sister was still burned into his mind, the expression of shock, and utter betrayal on her face. It was so _real_. Her last words echoed through his mind over and over again. ' _Nico,_ mi caro, _how could you?'_

He could hear Lucy yelling at the others to get back to work, and from the corner of his eye, he could see campers giving him looks of sympathy as one by one, they slowly went back to what they were doing. He bowed his head again, wanting nothing more than to shadow travel into a dark corner somewhere and stay there, shutting out the world, but he didn't have the strength to shadow travel an inch right now.

Kyra and Jordan had come back. With a firm hand, Jordan half-helped half-dragged Nico to his feet, the same look of sympathy on his face. Nico met Kyra's eyes. She gazed at him with a completely unreadable expression.

"Who was that, shrimp?" she said, her voice completely cold and level, "Your girlfriend? Your beloved girlfriend? Or was she your best friend? Or your sister? "

Nico winced and Kyra nodded. "Your sister then."she said, her lip curling. Nico looked up. She was still angry at him.

"I'm sorry." he said quietly, swallowing his pride. "For saying you never even tried to escape...You're right. I don't know what you and Jordan went through."

For a few moments Kyra said nothing, her expression going back to being unreadable as she stared at him. Then, she let a long sigh.

"C'mon, let's just get back to training." she said in a resigned sort of voice. She and Jordan walked back to the line of dummies, and this time, Nico followed them.

 **Phew, that was intense! I actually had a lot of fun writing this chapter (which makes me feel kind of evil). Hope it gave you all da' feels. Anyway, Please review and tell me what you think.**

 **Stay awesome!**

 **~Silver**


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